Chapter 2
When one of Humbolt’s sons arrived at the manor house to inform him Miss Lizzy needed him, men, and the large cart at the corner in the road near the Humbolt farm, Bennet was momentarily panicked something had happened to Lizzy.
“Wait, you said Miss Lizzy came and requested help, and you saw her? She was well?” Bennet verified worriedly.
“Aye Sir, I seed ‘er an’ she be well,” the lad confirmed.
As soon as may be, Bennet was on his stallion, Plato, leading the menservants, which included the footmen, grooms, and his coachman, to where he had been asked to come. Hill, Longbourn’s butler was driving the cart being pulled by two of the farm horses.
Bennet and the group of men from Longbourn arrived at almost the same time as Mr. Jones—the apothecary and doctor in one person—and several other men from Meryton which included his brother, Frank Philips.
Much to Bennet’s relief, he saw Lizzy next to Humbolt, looking unscathed. She was hugging a girl he did not recognize.
While Bennet approached his daughter to discover what had occurred, there was no missing the broken rear axle and one of the smashed rear wheels of the chaise, Jones was attending to the two men Bennet now saw who were lying on the ground.
“Lizzy, what happened here?” Bennet demanded.
“Your daughter…saved our…lives,” Sir Lewis managed. He waved Mr. Jones away to attend to his footman first.
“She did, Sir,” Anne stated timidly. “If it were not for…Lizzy, Papa and I would…be with the coachman...in the gully now.”
“Please tell me what you did, Lizzy. Were you in danger?” Bennet queried concernedly.
Elizabeth was the most fearless of all of his children. She could be impulsive and rush into danger without fully considering all the risks. At least from what he could see, there was no harm to his second daughter.
She obediently related all from the instant she saw the coach for the first time until she had gone to Mr. Humbolt’s farm for help.
“Lizzy, you ride Hector, who is a pony, you do not have experience with carriage horses. What if one of the team had kicked when you were behind them?” Bennet enquired.
“I promise Papa, I calmed the team before I unhitched them. I have seen our coachman and grooms do that many times,” Elizabeth mollified her father.
Before Bennet could react, John, his coachman approached him. “Master, I needs to show ya summins,” the man stated after removing his cap.
Bennet nodded and followed his man to the rear of the damaged carriage. His coachman pointed to the rear axle. The bottom part of the break was as one would expect to see something that broke on its own, with jagged and splintered wood. The top third was a clean break. The axle had been partially sawn through!
He approached Jones who was attending to the man who was obviously the owner of the coach. “Jones, will this man and his daughter be well?” Bennet questioned.
“The gentleman…” Jones began to aver.
“Lewis de Bourgh,” Sir Lewis managed.
“Mr. de Bourgh lost consciousness. He will need to be watched for a few days, so he should not be travelling on yet,” Jones responded.
“Longbourn is closest, and it seems,” Bennet cocked his head to where Lizzy and the girl she identified as Anne stood, “Mr. de Bourgh’s daughter and Lizzy seem to have become friends. We can transport your patients to my home in the cart. They are welcome to remain with us until they are well enough to travel.” Bennet paused, looking at the coach. “Until that is repaired, I do not see the gentleman and his daughter going too far. How is the footman?”
“He has a broken arm and also lost consciousness. With some rest and recuperation, he will make a full recovery, as will Mr. de Bourgh,” Jones averred.
“Surely there is an inn in the town where we will not be a bother…” Sir Lewis stopped when he saw Anne’s disappointment.
Other than her cousin Georgiana Darcy, who was only five, Anne was almost never with girls close to her age. The bravery and obvious good character Anne told him about which this young girl had displayed would be a positive influence on his daughter.
“If that is a sincere offer, then Anne and I would be pleased to accept your generous invitation to host us,” Sir Lewis decided.
“Lizzy, please take Anne to the cart,” Bennet requested. Once the two girls were out of earshot, Bennet looked at Mr. de Bourgh seriously. “This was no accident…”
“I doubt whether I will ever be able to prove it, but I have a feeling I know who would have orchestrated such a thing,” Sir Lewis stated. He did not elucidate, and Bennet felt it was not his place to push for more information.
“As this was not an accident, we will have to notify the mayor, Mr. Lucas who is acting as magistrate currently,”Philips opined after hearing what Bennet said to the injured man. “I will ride to go see him in my gig.” Philips inclined his head to his brother and the prostrate man and made for his small carriage.
